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Werner Krenzer, detail from television program "The Strange War of Sergeant Krenzer" [1955]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Unit of Service: Service Company, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division
  • Location of Service: Korea; Taiwan; Pakistan; Philippines; Japan; Rome, Italy; United States
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant First Class
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/10944

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"I said to myself, 'I'm a soldier. Now I've got to wipe noses of little orphans that I have to pick up on the street.' That was quite a change for a military man." (Audio interview, 46:33)

Werner Krenzer was a veteran of two wars who never fired a shot but was immortalized in a TV drama. He was born in Germany in 1926; his family emigrated to America following Hitler's rise to power. He was made an American citizen after he was drafted to serve in the latter days of WWII. Krenzer re-enlisted after that war ended and during the Korean War, he was assigned to work with orphaned Korean children. His persistence and tireless devotion to the children did not go unnoticed. Several magazines told his story, and a TV producer soon contacted him for permission to portray his work. In 1955, the Armstrong Circle Theater presented "The Strange War of Werner Krenzer," with Richard Kiley. Krenzer's collection includes a complete version of the program.

TV program "The Strange War of Sergeant Krenzer".

More Resources

Werner Krenzer Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript

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Werner Krenzer Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript

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View 10 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]
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[ Letter of recommendation from A. T. Nielsen, Senior Welfare Officer, Seoul, Korea [November 8, 1953] ]
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[ Letter of welcome to the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group to Pakistan [September 10, 1957] ]
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[ DD Form 96 requesting permission to conduct a welfare program to help the needy children of Karachi, Pakistan [January 26, 1958] ]

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[ DD form 96 requesting permission to conduct a social welfare program in Rome, Italy [October 10, 1961] ]
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[ Certificate of Training, Instructor Training Course, [October 1965] ]
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[ Diploma designating Krenzer an Instructor ]
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[ Notice and record of personnel action ]
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[ Letter from Mercer C. Walter [December 22, 1959] ]
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[ Outline of events leading up to the telecast of "The Strange War of Sergeant Krenzer" ]
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[ Memo from Ruth Shortell of CARE ]
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[ Clipping, "American decorated for welfare work in Pakistan" ]
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[ Note from Principal of Redford High School, Detroit [June 2, 1967] ]

About this Item

Title

  • Werner Krenzer Collection

Names

  • DAR-Chevy Chase, Maryland Chapter
  • Daughters of the American Revolution, Chevy Chase, Maryland Chapter
  • Scanlin, Marilyn Sue
  • Krenzer, Werner

Home State

  • South Carolina

Headings

  • -  Krenzer, Werner
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.
  • -  Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Unit of Service: Service Company, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division
    • Location of Service: Philippines; Japan; Rome, Italy; United States
    • Highest Rank: Sergeant First Class
    • Dates of Service: 1944-1947
    • Entrance into Service: Drafted
    • Military Status: veteran

  • Korean War, 1950-1953

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Location of Service: Korea; Taiwan; Pakistan
    • Dates of Service: 1946-1965
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Video: Digital Betacam [1 item] -- Digitized Copy (collected 2003-05-31)
  • Audio: CD [2 items] -- Reference copy (collected 2003-02-17; 2009-08-20)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 2010)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-02-17)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [8 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2005)
  • Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [9 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected unknown)
  • Photograph: Original photographic print [5 items] -- Photograph (collected 1944-2003)
  • Video: VHS [1 item] -- Television broadcast (collected 2003-05-31)
  • Audio: Microcassette [2 items] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-02-17)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected unknown)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/10944

Cite as

  • Werner Krenzer Collection (AFC/2001/001/10944), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • online text
  • image
  • audio
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Dar-Chevy Chase, Maryland Chapter, Chevy Chase Daughters Of The American Revolution, Marilyn Sue Scanlin, and Werner Krenzer. Werner Krenzer Collection. 1944. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.10944/.

APA citation style:

Dar-Chevy Chase, M. C., Daughters Of The American Revolution, C. C., Scanlin, M. S. & Krenzer, W. (1944) Werner Krenzer Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.10944/.

MLA citation style:

Dar-Chevy Chase, Maryland Chapter, et al. Werner Krenzer Collection. 1944. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.10944/>.